The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-01-01
Tax Payers Are Yon Interested.
Communicated.

tiiia aD9 ltllph tiN lidS u OiIC VI
the most important questions that
enters the mind of every honest
citizen Of Ohio is "What shall we
do to improve our highways ?'
And how shall this be brought
about? Solely at the expense of
the tax payer. Very certainly
many OF our fellow citizens Will
tell us, but now who are they that
would thus wish to load the whole
burden on the tax payer; are they
persons only who may not have
gained their citizenship in our
grand republic, or are they persons
who have become so old that they
need not now so out and perform
two days work annually on the
highways, having passed the age
of 80 years. They are neither Of
this class generally but persons
who are so unfortunate rs not to
have cent Of tax to pay and pro-
badly may never have for many Of
them live only for the day.
But would it be right for persons
Of this class TO perform or cause to
be performed annually two days
reasonable labor ON the Highway
when they have not u vehicle or
horse Of any kind, to put on these
highways? From the following
benefits those same fellows derive
under the laws Of Ohio l should
say emphatically they have.
Some of those same persons are
the head of large families and
whether large or small have one Of
the grandest opportunities given to
man any where on the face of the
earth and that is of sending his
children to our common schools of
Ohio, that they may grow up to be
useful men and women and not q
cent of tax to pay for it; and if he
be so poor as not to be able TO buy
books for his children they are fur
ni5hed him free Of his expense but
ut the expense Of those who do
pay the taxes. In the second
place should any misfortune befall
him or his family, and they come
to need charity; ! would most
humbly ask at whose expense are
those charities furnished? The
question any intelligent person
can readily answer and when this
is so clear that no one can dispute
and which is right surely in q
human sense, then why should so
many of our poorer class refuse TO
perform the labor on our public
roads?
Again let those same persons be
so unfortunate as to need a hear
ing in any court of Justice and
their cause be criminal one and
they be to poor to employ an atty.
then again does public favor step
up and furnish them with counsel
and there by he has the chance of
having a fair and impartial decision
before any court Of Ohio. Now
comes the sequei, for many persons
who are able to perform their two
days annual labor upon our high
ways will, when notified, tell the
Supervisor to go to HI that obey
don't have to work the roads and
be Id if they Will; and what can
the Supervisor do in many of such
cases. Just simply take such abuse
meek!y and walk Off leaving the
same person to divest the venom
of his spleen on the officer whose
oath and bonded duty compels
him to give every male citizen OF
Ohio. between the ages of 81 and 55
years notice to perform his two
days labor annually unless eX-
empted by the laws Of Ohio.
But to remedy this is the inn
portant feature of this missive and
| should like to have other views
on the same If some one viii only
take the courage to express them
selves. ! shall venture mine, hop
ing ! shall not be looked Mt too
critically for thus being pointed in
my conclusion. And here it comes
that the Supervisor shah have full
and unlimited power TO proceed to
collect the amount due by every
such person for not performing the
labor required by law and that up
ON any person SO refusing to per-
form the Supervisor giving notice
to any person or Co. of persons
having the person so refusing to
labor, in his employ shall withhold
from his hire the amount required
by law and that upon his neglect
TO so withhold said amount, thcn